Secondary doesn’t look good and both Josh Cribbs and Derek Anderson got hurt:

Anderson was hit by Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora and landed on his head early in the second quarter of Cleveland’s 37-34 defeat. The Browns described the injury Monday night as a “possible concussion”; Anderson’s condition was later confirmed by a source.

There is still no official word on how much time Anderson might miss. The source says the concussion is not severe and, at the very least, Anderson should be ready for Cleveland’s regular-season opener Sept. 7 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Part of me is almost glad this happened. And for a couple reasons.

First of all, it’ll remind Browns fans that they’re actually cheering for a Cleveland sports franchise. Don’t build up those expectations. Lay off the Super Bowl chants (seriously, can’t I just watch the Tribe lose without hearing about the Browns heading to the Super Bowl?).

I fully expect the Browns to be a better football team this season, but I’m not entirely sure how that’s going to translate into wins and losses. Their schedule is brutal and it’s better for everyone involved to get a healthy dose of reality.

Secondly, this ‘mild’ concussion for DA will give the Browns a reason to play Brady Quinn with the first unit (and against the first unit) without having to worry about wins and losses. Anderson is going to be the starter upon his return and it can’t hurt to see how Brady does with/against first stringers (I was concerned about them finding ways to get Quinn some PT with the first unit. I don’t think you can go into next offseason without having seen Brady against the top talent).

As for the results on the field, I really don’t care at this point. Down 30-3? That sucks, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a preseason game. It. Doesn’t. Matter. Obviously I’d rather have them ahead 30-3, but I’m not going to lose sleep over it.

The fact that they played like shit on national TV is probably a good thing. Keeps things in perspective and doesn’t let them get ahead of themselves. This season is going to be a ton of work and just because they won 10 games a year ago, doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to do it again. Hopefully, Monday night served as a wake up call (to both players and fans) and they’ll be able to regroup and refocus because of it.

2 Responses to Hey Browns fans, temper those epectations

Concur that this is not the worst thing that could happen Monday night. It gives Romeo and his coaches some serious ammunition to use in practices going forward about being focused, not committing stupid penalties, etc. Worst thing that could happen is to win all the preseason games and then get waxed in the regular season.

Football is all about depth. You have no idea who will get injured but you can be sure some guys will.

The fact that the Browns got pushed around in the trenches is neither a surprise nor a disappointment. Not against the Giants. They’re the defending Super Bowl champs because they dominate games in the trenches.

The Browns are greatly improved on the lines, and they have a few elite players at key positions, but no way do I consider either the OL or DL to be elite as a unit. Better than the perpetual suckfest from 1999-2006, but maybe the fact that we’re so hyped on the lines underscores how putrid they were in years past.

What sticks in my craw is how the team just totally melted down when they started getting hit in the mouth. That’s a coaching issue.

Butch Davis might have run a gulag in training camp, but I think Romeo goes too far in the other direction and doesn’t push guys hard enough. The result was watching the Browns disintegrate into a bunch of discombobulated weenies for a good, solid 15 minutes of play in the late first and early second quarters.

Got to have mental toughness to win in the NFL. It was an issue last year and for years beforehand, and it’s going to continue to be an issue this year.